DUDLEY schools achieved improvements in GCSE pass rates for key subjects according to a new report.

Provisional statistics prepared for Dudley Council’s Children’s Services Select Committee show 2024 pass rates for grade four or above in English and maths rose to 59.3 percent up by 0.2 percent.

For grade five and above, regarded as a ‘good’ pass, there is a bigger improvement with a rate of 40.6 percent compared with 37.2 percent in 2023.

There are big differences between the two subjects with the English pass rate recorded as 71 percent compared to maths where 64 percent got grade four or above.

Despite the improvements Dudley is still lagging behind the national average, government statistics show nationally 65.1 percent of pupils passed both English and maths at grade four or above while 45.3 percent achieved a ‘good’ pass in both subjects.

Data for key stage one pupils, aged five to seven shows 78 percent passed a phonics test, up two percent on 2023.

For older key stage two pupils, aged seven to 11, 56.5 percent of pupils passed an assessment which covers reading, maths and grammar, punctuation and spelling, an improvement of 1.2 percent on the previous year.

Suspensions and exclusions from secondary schools in Dudley rose with provisional figures showing 3,872 suspensions in the 2023/24 academic year compared to 3,575 in 2022/23.

A provisional total of 94 pupils were permanently excluded from a Dudley secondary school in the last year which is 23 more than the previous year.

The report says: “Against our statistical neighbours, suspension rates are lower than most other authorities. 

“However, our exclusion rates are higher, and this is an area of significant development in the last 12 months with the Pathway Strategy and Inclusive Pathways preventative model.

“The main reason for both suspension and permanent exclusion is persistent disruptive behaviour. 

“Data is shared within the education team and wider services monthly to show patterns of concern, and to discuss how each individual area may be able to support schools with this.”